


Half

by Koschei_Oakdown



Category: Green Lantern - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-16
Updated: 2019-05-16
Packaged: 2020-03-06 12:13:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18850852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Koschei_Oakdown/pseuds/Koschei_Oakdown
Summary: An alien life is saved





	Half

**Author's Note:**

> Credit to DC Comics

They'd split up a few rooms back, realised the search would go twice as fast that way. And Hal was in a hurry, knew he and Katma didn't have much time before the Justice League arrived, or before the authorities did. Either one wouldn't be good, they could try to cover this whole thing up and Hal wasn't going to let that happen.

A stack of files Hal grabbed from a nearby shelf and flipped through. Perfect. Notes on all the alien experimentation happening here, it would serve as undeniable proof even though the actual aliens had been cleared out. Hal was still beating himself up over that one, if only he'd been faster, found this place before the evil humans had made a run for it, he might've been able to save all those aliens.

Well, Hal wasn't going to give up. Every alien in this file he would find, and he'd make the humans pay for what they'd done. Katma, he knew, would help, as would maybe a few other Green Lanterns. These days, they were the only people he could really trust with this, even while he was a member of the Justice League. The humans just didn't get it.

As Hal flipped through the file, a familiar shade of skin caught his eye and he paused. A Korugarian on Earth? It made sense once he'd started to read the page, and he frowned. Somehow, Sinestro had been captured, experimented on like the rest, and had probably been taken along with them as well. Hal hated how that suddenly seemed so much more important than everything else, as though Sinestro was worth more to him than the other aliens.

With an effort, Hal snapped the file shut and promised himself he'd react exactly the same way he would if Sinestro was just some other alien. And be a lot more cautious while he was at it, because Sinestro was dangerous, more dangerous than civilians, certainly, even when disarmed.

File tucked under his arm, Hal exited the room and made his way down the hall. Only to stop dead in his tracks. "Sinestro?!" It was indeed, Sinestro, easily recognisable, currently sneaking out of one of the rooms Hal hadn't got to yet.

On hearing his name, Sinestro glanced up. When he saw Hal, he spun around and sprinted down the hall, away from his Green Lantern enemy. The file dropped to the ground from under Hal's arm as he gave chase. "Wait! I'm not -"

"Don't move!" Both Hal and Sinestro were brought to an abrupt halt, facing down Katma Tui who had a ring pointed straight at Sinestro. Her expression was unreadable, but Hal was suddenly fervently wishing he'd brought Tomar-Re with him, not Katma. What if she tried to kill Sinestro and take her revenge? Well, Hal would have to stop her, obviously. Not that he cared if Sinestro lived. Just, Green Lanterns weren't murderers.

Before Hal could try to defuse the situation, maybe remind Katma she'd lose her ring if she started killing, Sinestro swayed where he stood, stumbled, and, as far as Hal could see, fainted. It was with a thud Sinestro hit the ground, and he didn't move once there. Maybe he was dead.

Completely forgetting Katma was there, Hal dashed forward and dropped to his knees beside Sinestro. He shook the unmoving Korugarian roughly. "Sinestro? Sinestro?" His own desperation he could hear, it made him feel even worse, made him worry more. "C'mon, talk to me. You can't die. You need to uh -" Katma had just knelt beside him, was turning Sinestro over onto his back - "face justice."

It took an incredible amount of Hal's willpower, but he didn't stoop to shoving Katma away. She didn't look to be in much of a murderous rage, after all, and he used the time she spent scanning Sinestro to try and calm down. On his finger, on Katma's too, was the most powerful weapon in the universe, and it could do other things as well, like save Sinestro's life. Everything would be fine.

Now on his back, Sinestro sucked in a huge lungful of air, though his eyes were still closed. The movement of his chest drew Hal's gaze down and he quickly looked away, stomach churning at the sight of all that blood.

"We have to save him," Katma finally spoke, and Hal looked to her, surprised. Her dark wavy hair had fallen into her eyes but she pushed it back, revealed the determination in her features. "That is our duty, as Green Lanterns. Besides -" she managed a small grimace - "we have to save all the aliens being experimented on, not just the ones we like."

"That's true," Hal said, and he wondered how it was Katma convincing him Sinestro shouldn't die. "I just thought you wouldn't want to save his life, after what he did…" Perhaps she was a better Green Lantern than Sinestro, because Hal knew Sinestro would've walked straight past a dying criminal without batting an eye. Unless, of course, said criminal could be in someway useful to him.

"I don't want to save his life," Katma corrected, but she was pressing green construct bandages against where Sinestro had ripped his stitches anyway, staunching the bleeding. "He betrayed me, and he betrayed my planet. He deserves nothing from me. This is duty only."

Blood seeped through the bandages, and Sinestro's chest was heaving, he looked frankly awful, and Hal made a decision, going off the information his ring was telling him. "He needs a blood transfusion," he told Katma. "Or he's not gonna make it. Your sector will have some in storage, won't it?"

On Sinestro's chest, Katma's fingers paused, and then she lifted her gaze, met Hal's. "He can have mine," she offered. "That'll be faster than travelling across the universe." Honestly, Hal hadn't thought of that as an option but he nodded and took over from Katma while she prepared everything.

The green bandages Hal bound tightly into place, then he lightly slapped his fingers against Sinestro's cheek. "Hey. You gonna lie there forever? C'mon." There was of course, no response, and Hal sighed. How long would this take, anyway?

A few minutes passed in silence, with Hal ensuring Sinestro was still breathing and Katma sitting comfortably beside them, blood flowing from her to Sinestro. The whole time, Hal was distinctly aware of Katma's presence, aware of being watched, and he tried not to let it be too obvious how concerned he was about Sinestro.

All Hal wanted to do was curl up tightly and wrap himself around Sinestro, so it was only the two of them, nothing else. It was most likely a good thing Katma was there to stop him, her presence alone forcing him to rethink that desire. After all, he couldn't let Katma know he'd ever cared about Sinestro, even a bit, she'd probably hate him for it.

The gasping sounds drawn from Sinestro's lips began to ease and Hal almost panicked, thinking maybe Sinestro was dying. A quick check of Sinestro's vitals however, informed him that the blood transfusion was working, and the frantic pulsing of Sinestro's heart was calming down. "We need to get out of here," Hal warned, focusing back on the mission. "If anyone comes -"

"You have a witness," Katma pointed out, indicating with one hand to Sinestro. "They cannot refute your story now. Even though Sinestro is a known liar, his injuries speak for the pain he has gone through  and he knows how to convince people." It was stated as a fact, Hal couldn't tell if Katma was bitter about that or not. He was.

"Alright," Hal agreed with her, and he glanced down at Sinestro. "We will -" he paused, because Sinestro was stirring, eyes fluttering behind closed eyelids - "do that - Sinestro? You with us?" Lightly, he tapped his knuckles against Sinestro's collarbone, and his fingers were painted with blood. He wrinkled his nose and wiped it onto his thigh.

When Hal looked up, Sinestro appeared to be fully awake, eyes open and the pace of his breathing had increased again. "You ruined my escape," Sinestro snarled, but the words were interspersed with breathless gasps. Maybe it had been better when Sinestro had been unconscious.

"Hey, calm down, you're gonna give yourself a heart attack," Hal soothed, but Sinestro just turned his head away, most likely sulking that he couldn't start tossing insults around without running out of breath. "How'd I ruin your escape, hmm? Is that what happened? You're still here because you escaped? That's quite clever." A little flattery always went everywhere with Sinestro.

"Of course I did," Sinestro shot at him. "I am incredible. But I won't be telling you, Jordan, no doubt you are in on this, being a human, the very species that tortured me in the name of your worthless science." After all that talking, Sinestro had to take several seconds to regain his breath.

"Then talk to me," Katma interjected. "Hal and I have just saved your life, you owe us. I'm sure, as a human, he is very sorry this happened to you, and we will do everything we can to fix it. Starting with bringing down your torturers. You need to help us, Sinestro."

All the request did was cause Sinestro to scoff. "No," he refused, ever willing to be completely unhelpful. "I don't think I will. The position you are in must bring you great self congratulation, Katma Tui. How easy was it, to destroy my life so you could improve your own? That ring on your finger will always have been mine. Perhaps I should be proud. You are, after all, doing exactly what I -"

Having had quite enough, Hal clamped his hand down over Sinestro's mouth. "Stop being mean to my friend," he insisted, eyes narrowed, leaning close. It was clear though, in Sinestro's eyes, he didn't care in the slightest about what Hal said to him.

"It's fine," Katma waved Hal away, apparently uninterested in being annoyed by Sinestro's insults. "If Sinestro wants to blame everybody else for his problems, that's his decision. It will get him killed one day, and no one will mourn for him. He drove away everyone who cared for him, only I remain, and I will not mourn for you, Sinestro, only for the righteous path you failed to take."

There was a pause as Sinestro absorbed this, and Hal wished he could feel as Katma did, completely detached from caring if Sinestro lived or died. But he did care, and that was why Sinestro started laughing, the low sound choked but so terribly amused.

Of course, Katma didn't understand and she opened her mouth to ask. Sinestro however, spoke first, voice rough from laughing, "Only you remain, dear Katma? I do believe you should look closer at the people you surround yourself with. You may find they are being entirely dishonest." Pointedly, Sinestro's gaze flicked to Hal, and Katma looked at him too.

Faced with the stare of two Korugarians, Hal hesitated, wasn't sure how to recover from this. Thankfully, the decision was made for him, Sinestro hooked a hand around the back of Hal's neck and brought him down. For a moment, Hal was really worried Sinestro was about to kiss him and really ruin everything with Katma, but Sinestro only pressed lips to his ear.

"Why didn't you tell her?" It was quiet enough that only Hal could hear, and that was something Hal appreciated. At least Sinestro hadn't outright told Katma that it was Hal who was lying, and about what. "Are you ashamed of me, Hal? Or are you ashamed of yourself? You should be. I rather think -"

Unwilling to hear what that might be, Hal pulled Sinestro's hand from around his neck and shoved it away. "I don't care what you think," Hal growled, forcing the words out through clenched teeth. "Shut up and do what you're told."

To Hal's surprise, Sinestro did fall silent, but it became clear why a moment later. Footsteps were approaching and Hal was relieved, even knowing he now had to be very careful if he wanted the human authorities on his side. It was still better than dealing with Sinestro.


End file.
